Gravitation Physics and Relativistic Astrophysics

This award funds theoretical research on several different topics in relativistic astrophysics and general relativity. One focus is the exploration of newly discovered conservation laws involving black holes, and their implications for deep and poorly understood issues in quantum gravity such as the information loss paradox discovered by Stephen Hawking. A second focus is on tests of general relativity and on sources of gravitational radiation that have been detected by NSF's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and that might be detected by future space-based detectors. Theoretical studies of sources of gravitational waves funded by this award will be useful to aid detection of signals from black holes and other sources, and also to aid in their interpretation. Gravitational wave studies can tell us about the nature of gravity, properties of black holes, and properties of the early Universe. The award supports the training of graduate students and postdocs in STEM research. In more detail, the principal research topics of this award are (i) the development of methods to compute the gravitational waveforms from point particles inspiralling into spinning black holes, using a combination of analytical and numerical approaches; (ii) demonstrating that the two body dynamics is Hamiltonian when the dissipation is removed; (iii) developing a comprehensive description and understanding of conservation laws involving soft hair on black holes, and (iv) investigating the consequences of these laws for the quantum evaporation of black holes and the ultimate fate of information that falls into black holes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.